Swimming

     I blogged about taking up swimming two weeks ago. Thanks to the Knitting Queen I am still swimming twice a week. This morning was overcast and cool but the pool was warm and more so after the continuous movement.
        I learned to swim with my Dad. As immigrants to this country, we did not spend money on learning skills from others. The only lessons I took as a child were piano lessons, because my father and mother did not play. But swimming they did, both of them. Dad would go to the public pool every day after work. I went along until I started having body image problems, then I wriggled out of that activity.
  As a child we are blissfully unconcerned about how we look, what is important is how we feel in the water.

     I have some strange strokes in the water. Since I was never properly taught, I improvise and use movements that I have observed. I swim with my head above water, which makes sense to me if you want to enjoy the sky and the air around you. There are serious swimmers going alongside me. They bury their body in the water and glide just below the surface. They are smooth and sleek and move much faster than I am.
   I am thinking I might drag out the goggles and go down below the surface sometime soon.

Family Reunion

I haven't attended an extended family reunion in years and years. This reunion was a stunner. It started with helping get all the food cooked and organized. I found wonderful women in the kitchen, who worked tirelessly with such pleasant conversation. 

Karin Cox

Julie Titze

Liz Titze

Most of these women have married my nephews and those men are lucky to have wives of this caliber. We expected 70-80 people and every one of those people came. That is a lot of bratwurst, sauerkraut, red cabbage and potato salad.
 

The matriarchs, my sisters, looked like they were laying in bed eating bons bons, but really they were exhausted and sent to their room by a loving but firm daughter.

Michael Titze and Kevin Cox

 When it came time for the food and games to be transported to the church, the nephews and brother kicked in to build some awnings and arrange the tables.  The family members attending could all be traced back to two sisters, Anna Lindner Bettermann and Pauline Lindner Rosemann. These two sisters joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and emigrated to America.
  I was blown away with seeing second cousins who I have not seen since I was in my twenties. 

Walter Rosemann, Kathy, Marla Kohutek

Sigrid, Joanne, Regina Kohutek, 

They came with children and grandchildren to celebrate our grandmother's legacy.

  We talked, and ate, and tried to learn the names of everyone's kids.

Spencer Cox,Bradley Cox, Joanne, Rebecca, Sage and Andrew Titze

The Adams Fanily

My cousin Ruth Bell and me

My brother and me

 At the last minute I drew a family tree on an empty plastic tablecloth so that as we gathered at the end we could see, visually how we were related.
 

Jordon, Sherie, Diane and Beatrice 

Rolfe and Brian

Maria singing with Genevieve, Gavin and Katherine

Jessica Cox with water balloons

Ardian Cuka with Beatrice

Stories were told about our departed family members, and there are many who have left this earth who we all miss. They would be amazed how many have come from just two people in 100 years.
  

  Our family has many personalities and many talents and I learned to appreciate and celebrate my place in this brood.

Ingo's Birthday Concert

In Salt Lake City, Utah, I was invited to my brother's birthday concert and it was lovely. We were celebrating his 70th birthday.

His students, attending the summer Vocology Institute and his family celebrated together.

The students who performed for us were amazing. The two most memorable performances were Carmella and Tylee.

Carmella Jones, a Los Angeles singer, had such flamboyance and power. 

Tyley Ross had a modern voice and boy, he could belt out a tune. 

I was honored to sing in a quartet with my brother, his wife, and daughter. We did Nella Fantasia and I finally know the words in Italian now after performing it twice.

 It meant a great deal to me to have an opportunity to harmonize with these three.

 I also felt honored to be with great extended family.

More later about the family reunion.

Whatcha Readin' This Summer?

Hey Cousins, I was just wonderin' what you all have been reading?

You all know I love Curious George but just recently I found a new sizzler.

Here is a beautiful book about fairies, you'll love it.

So leave me some comments below and let me know what you have been reading.

Please?

Jumping Up and Down to Learn More

Jumping on a trampoline is just plain fun. Learning and fun go together when we jump to learn. 

I have been reviewing notes while jumping this week. The motion has been proven to enhance learning. I start with setting a steady jumping beat, 1-2-3-4- then move a black note disk around the staff. My students say the note on the beat. 

Along with note reading practice, the steady bouncing strengthens my students sense of beat. So who has a trampoline around? 

Here is an update on our Ice-Cream Challenge.

Look how the scoops are stacking up. I have seen better practicing this summer than ever before.Keep up the great playing,

What Are Your Cousins Doing This Summer?

Strawberries are plentiful around here. I found a few yesterday in my bedraggled garden. I have had them on yogurt, over ice-cream, an in smoothies. I'm not tired of that sun-kissed taste.

I found our cousins in Germany, having the same wonderful harvest.

Fill the whole container?

Oh, my aching back!

What do you mean, where are the strawberries? Look how many I picked.

Three in a bush is better than seven in a tree?

I found the best one!!

Oh.oh, did you say pick strawberries?

One last strawberry on the edge.

In Germany our cousins are picking strawberries. What are you doing this summer?

A Cascade of Cousins

Summertime is a season to visit family. Reunions are planned and great effort is expended to bring old and young together. It is a grand time to have cousins. I did not have many cousins and the ones I had were not close to my age. That is the problem with being a child born late in the life of my parents. I developed an interest in my cousins when I became an adult and when I realized that they knew many valuable things about my family.

A Burgess Bunch

My grandchildren are now exploring their cousins and I find it fascinating how their perspectives are always in flux depending on their ages. We bring these children together and tell them that this group is different from other children. This group is special because they are related to you.

Kolditz Klan

This group of children will be your friends forever even if you don't like them today.Their parents are your aunts and uncles who like you because they like your parents, mostly.

Some Titze Tots

So, when I plan an event with children from more than one family I put aside the extra work and commotion and try to concentrate on the anticipation that these encounters will provide lasting memories. That knowing about these people will help define who they are.

Under the Titze Tent

Happy Fourth of July and happy family reunions everyone.